Well, I have been working through the microfilm I requested. This has been very difficult. It is a 10mm film. The only way I can read it because the images are so small is if I have an LDS staff person scan some of the indexes. I copy them to my flash drive. At home I can enlarge them a great deal and make them readable. I have at least 5 more indexes (multiple pages) to review.

Is there a way to copy them without having to take up the time of the staff person? Being a novice at this I am open to any suggestions that may help. My problem is even if I find what I need, trying to find the actual record copy would be difficult again because they are too small. Even with a great magnifying glass they are not very readable.

I'm not blind and I do wear glasses to see near but never anticipated all of this.

Actually, I do exactly what you're doing to read my films but I do it on purpose because I like looking through my films at home. But most of my films are 16 mm so are larger to begin with. I can read them on the viewer no problem..but not on the scanner very well.

Nuccia, you must have nicer people at your Center. Mine are quite short in answers. Getting instructions to get started was like pulling teeth. I would like to be able to scan myself but it must be an LDS staff person. Actually, the scan images they have pulled up are quite readable. I think even a simple print screen would do if that would be possible. But, you don't dare touch anything. Do you do scan your own or do you have a very helpful person working with you?

Actually, I do exactly what you're doing to read my films but I do it on purpose because I like looking through my films at home. But most of my films are 16 mm so are larger to begin with. I can read them on the viewer no problem..but not on the scanner very well.

You realize the bigger films require a different lens size, right?
Speaking of LDS microfilms, the director of my center told me they received mail from Salt Lake which gave them information pertaining to the records going online. Evidently some of the places they microfilmed they did not get the appropriate forms signed and will be unable to put that information online, therefore, microfilm equiptment at local centers will still be needed. They also received a list of centers that will be closing. Although they did let me know my center was not one of them, they would not devulge which ones will be closing.

When I used the FHL, 16 years ago..I had that same problem. The lenses on their readers were not the correct ones to see this small film. What they did was let me use their printer/reader.

I dont know what they have there now, but back then, they had one machine that let you view and print. Everyone was supposed to use a regular machine..and when they found what they wanted to copy, take it out of the one they were using..and put it into this one.

Because that one..was the only one that you could see this film on..they made me use that. I had to get off of it 15 minutes before closing so that others could use it. I LOVED this method. I also loved the part where, they never got in the lenses they ordered (for two years) which allowed me to complete what I needed for both my father and my father in law. By the time they got the lense, I was done. I wasnt able to do our mothers side, because one branch had no records copied (at that time, but they have them now) . I needed the info from before 1865, first. I ended up writing to italy for my moms family..and still cant get out of the usa records for the other.

As far as them getting their records online. Dont count on seeing much in the way of italian records, for a long time. I recently volunteered to index records for them. You can check this out yourself, because anyone can view the list of what we are currently indexing and another list of whats coming next.

Right now..the only thing on their list of things being currently indexed is trento baptisms from the early 1800s to 1924..and thats it. There is NOTHING from italy on their next list. I, personally, am trying to do as many trento baptism records as I can.

Although, I am not fluent in italian..I know enough (and have weeded thru enough) italian records, to be able to get the information needed. I figured, people who know NO italian, would never select those records to index..just the way that I avoid those in french, german or spanish. I am just really very disappointed to see trento as the only place in italy on either of their lists to index.

By the way..if any of you guys have a little time..anyone can volunteer to index for them. I had been considering it for a very long time and finally took the plunge. I felt that I gained so much through them, that it was time for a little payback. I am also enjoying this. I have indexed over 8000 records for them, in just a couple of weeks.

Last edited by Eleven on Sun Aug 24, 2008 11:01 pm; edited 1 time in total

Part of the problem is the Italians did not want people rebaptised after death by Mormons...this is not something Mormons wanted their folks doing witn non-immediate family members either but some did so it became a spiritual clash. So out of mutual respect, LDS is now moving cautiously with Italian records.
You are right about lens sizes and those are very expensive and the various FHL have small budgets and aren't supposed to take outside donations.
I am fortunate to have wonderful volunteers at this center who have taught me tons such as MWSnap3 dot com...freebie to snap the desktop displays of all those screenshots that do not want to be printed. I am also saving the complete films to go thru at home and attempting to transcribe as much as possible ..most of our family is related to almost all of the others in small Itri!

Part of the problem is the Italians did not want people rebaptised after death by Mormons...

Unfortunately it is not the Italians that are the problem, it is The Vatican which has issued an edict forbidding Catholic Priests from allowing the LDS Church in to microfilm. It isn't just Italy, it applies to all the Catholic churches worldwide. Fortunately most of the other Catholic countries in Europe have been already filmed (apart from Italy)

Who told you LDS Family History Centers don't accept donations? Ive worked at my local center as a volunteer since I was a teenager and we even have a sheet from Salt Lake to fill out when a patron wishes to make a donation. They welcome it! Where is that information from?

I dont think thats why they arent putting Italian records online at the rate other records are getting there. I believe its because nobody is working on them. Of course, most people speak english, spanish would come next. There are a few choices of spanish things to work on..right now. There are one or two things in german..and the one in Italian. I can tell on the FHL site, that not many people are working on these..since I both index records and arbitrate them. There has to be at least 3 of us, since I cant get my own work back..and sometime the trento baptism choice isnt there, to arbitrate..because nobody indexed any.

I had also begun to work on the italian records at ancestry...but, I think some hanky panky is going on over there. Their instructions for these records are misleading, causing confusion...so after doing about 1500, I stopped. I can watch their progress from the software..and unless thats buggy..the total amount done, has been going up in the past 10 days, not coming down. This indicates to me that their arbitrators, might be putting work done, back on the pile, rather than fix the errors. I am sure they arent finding more records to stick in the pile on a daily basis.

Because they have a forum..you can read what some of these people say..and most of them are confused. I wont waste my time there until I know they have straighted things out.

The Italian records take a long time to work on. Some are poorly written, I even got a few in latin. Even tho you might know some of the Italian language, you still hesitate as you type, no matter how clear the record is, plus some of the priests make up their own abbrviations and there are notiatons all over these things. The only up side is..is that the names repeat and repeat, so you remember most of them..so know what they are, even if the writing is faded. I have been working on these trento baptisms since august. I feel like I am related to these people.

There was a HUGE microfilm campaign going on in Sicily in the period 2003-2005 where the LDS filmed dozens of towns Church Records, many back into the early 1500s. (Thankfully before the Vatican issued the edict). They also filmed the Riveli (Census) for nearly every town in Sicily. This must have been a massive undertaking and perhaps they have stepped back from working on Italy and addressed other areas.

I don't think the interest is not there, we are really not privy to much of the information on current microfilm/digitalization projects. Even what info they give us is not necessarily current or comprehensive.

James, While church records are important when trying to get back to earlier periods 1700s and before, there is no reason why they cant get the civil records online. Right now, the FHL is working on many american records to put out there, some of which, ancestry already has out..only they charge for their records, but the FHL records are free.

Because these trento baptisms are there for us to index and I see no other italian records in what they have on their upcoming list, I questioned them. The answer I got was, they want to get all of their records, online..sooner or later..and eventually, what I am looking for will be there. Of course, right now..they are catering to the american records. 1920 censuses..some state censuses, some death records..very old ones. (The list is up top..it only changed slightly because a few projects are completed).

In around december..it looked to me like the trento baptisms were finished, as the choice had disappeared from the list of things to work on. But, I received email notification that they had more. I am guessing that what they originally put out there..was only a part of what they had..and then they uploaded the rest.

I have been working on these baptisms since august..almost constantly. I do some daily..and its only late at night, that I move to arbitrate some american records. Right now, since august, I have indexed over 45,000 records and arbitrated about 98,000. At least half of each, probably more..have been the trento baptisms.

I keep an eye on whats going on...and can tell by how other projects are completed...that not many people are choosing the italian records. I can almost tell by the mistakes when I arbitrate them, if the person is new, or this is their first attempt.

I really feel that if there were more people volunteering to work on them, then when this project is done..another might appear. It makes sense to me, that they would want to get out there, what people will use..and if nobody shows interest in foreign records, then they will remain on the back burner.

As far as them stepping back from filming in italy, that would probably be only the church records...and that would be worldwide catholic church records, not just the Italian ones. Thats my guess anyway.

Sooo...if anyone of you have spare time..and are using it to play computer games...maybe you might want to consider taking a look at volunteering for the FHL. I wont recommend ancestry just yet, because of this problem I see going on there...oh..and believe it or not..it looks to me like even less people are working on the ancestry italian records. Their percent done looks like its based on whats arbitrated..and last I heard from an arbitrator there..there were over 60 on the pile. That rises very slowly..and as that rises, the amount typed seems to get higher, not lower...which like I said..I am wondering if the arbitrators are returning them to the pile..to be redone, rather than fix the errors.

The FHL never bothers you..and they are forever thanking you for your help. You arent graded on accuracy, like ancestry has decided to do..which makes you want to not bother with them. The FHL software is much easier to use, too.

I was given my information by the fellow in charge of the semi-local FHL here where I am - I say semi-local because it is a 26 mile drive one way but it is the closest - he has been there over 20 years - and a phenominal wealth of information. I have tried many times to donate to the center but there was even a small sign for a while saying no. We did donate a metal reeler my husband made to run microfilms when using a flat bed scanner - their center would be the only time we would use it and I figured they would enjoy it - they do!
I will have to sign up to do some of the records for them. I know I found errors on ancestry and on the IGA - and on Ellis - the old handwriting and whatever played havoc with some of the records like dampness. By the way I had a link to a web site where someone had the forms translated to English - fill in blank sort of thing that I printed out several copies of and use. It is fantastic when you want to translate the forms or know what you are reading - they follow same format over and over. If you folks don't already have that link, I will see if I can find it (I do have a form obviously I can scan and send but want to give credit to person who did the original work).

I suppose it is possible he/she was not completely informed of Church Policy in these matters. As I said my center accepts and receives cash donations regularly from patrons such as yourself who are so thankful for the wonderful services available.

The volunteers sure do work so hard -- and I for one, am a very grateful person - Itri was bombed during the war - the church was a direct hit as well as city hall so many records were lost (not all) but then later city hall had a fire and more were lost -- so those fragile damaged records that are on microfilm are precious! They are all that is available in many instances for Itri.

I couldnt find a number of my census records, until ancestry got theirs online..and then, I only found additional records because of my determination to find them. For many, I went page by page, in the enumeration districts I thought they might be.

Since I began indexing for the FHL, I now KNOW why people have such a difficult time finding anything.

One of their rules, and ancestrys also, is that you type exactly what you see (even if you are 100% sure its wrong). If the person that took the information as Mary Smith, wife, male..you are supposed to enter male..even tho you are sure some guy didnt mary another guy named mary.

I can understand that they want the index to match what the person will find on the record. Problem is, what they want you to do...in some cases, will make the record more difficult to find. Now, I am gonna guess...well not guess, since I KNOW...many people will NOT type exactly what they see...but they will take an abbreviated name and type the name (thats a no no) or other things of this sort..like first name correction. When I index..I type what I see. Um..when I arbitrate..sometimes I go blind...lol

My objective..especially with Italian names..is that THIS italian wants every other italian to at least be able to find the record. They THEY can decide, who is male or female and whose first name has one L or two.

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